IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,312,645
Granted Patent B2
US 12,312,645 · App. 17/596,437 · Granted May 27, 2025

Rail and manufacturing method therefor

Inventors: Kenji Okushiro (Tokyo, JP); Kazuya Tokunaga (Tokyo, JP); Moriyasu Yamaguchi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
C21D8/065C21D11/005C22C38/02C22C38/04C22C38/18C21D2211/001C21D2211/002C21D2211/009
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,312,645
App. No.
17/596,437
Granted
May 27, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A rail comprises a predetermined chemical composition. In a hardness distribution in a region from a rail head surface to a depth of 16.0 mm, a part having higher hardness than V1 that is minimum hardness in a first internal region is present in a second internal region, and hardness of the rail head surface is HBW 400 to 520 and average hardness in the region from the rail head surface to the depth of 16.0 mm is HBW 350 or more.

Claims (55)

1. A rail comprising a chemical composition consisting of, in mass %,

C: 0.60% to 0.84%,

Si: 0.10% to 1.50%,

Mn: 0.20% to 1.50%,

P: 0.035% or less,

S: 0.035% or less,

Cr: 0.49% to 2.00%, and optionally

one or more selected from the group consisting of

V: 0.30% or less,

Cu: 1.0% or less,

Ni: 1.0% or less,

Nb: 0.050% or less,

Mo: 0.5% or less,

Al: 0.07% or less,

W: 1.0% or less,

B: 0.005% or less, and

Sb: 0.5% or less,

with a balance consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities,

wherein, in a hardness distribution in a region from a rail head surface to a depth of 16.0 mm:

a part having higher hardness than V1 is present in a second internal region from 10.0 mm to 16.0 mm in depth located deeper than a first internal region from 4.0 mm to 8.0 mm in depth, where V1 is minimum hardness in the first internal region; and

hardness of the rail head surface is HBW 400 to 520, and average hardness in the region from the rail head surface to the depth of 16.0 mm is HBW 350 or more.

2. The rail according to claim 1 wherein the chemical composition consists of, in mass %,

C: 0.60% to 0.84%,

Si: 0.10% to 1.50%,

Mn: 0.20% to 1.50%,

P: 0.035% or less,

S: 0.035% or less, and

Cr: 0.49% to 2.00%,

with a balance consisting of Fe and inevitable impurities.

3. The rail according to claim 2 , wherein a difference between V2 and V1 is HBW 5 or more, where V2 is average hardness in the second internal region.

4. The rail according to claim 3 , wherein hardness in the second internal region increases continuously in a depth direction from the rail head surface.

5. The rail according to claim 2 , wherein the part having higher hardness than V1 is present throughout the second internal region.

6. The rail according to claim 5 , wherein hardness in the second internal region increases continuously in a depth direction from the rail head surface.

7. The rail according to claim 2 , wherein hardness in the second internal region increases continuously in a depth direction from the rail head surface.

8. A manufacturing method for the rail according to claim 2 , the manufacturing method comprising:

subjecting a steel material having the chemical composition according to claim 2 to hot rolling to obtain a rail;

thereafter cooling the rail from a temperature not less than austenite temperature to a first cooling temperature of A−25° C. to A+25° C., at an average cooling rate of 1° C./s to 20° C./s;

thereafter holding the rail until a temperature of the rail reaches an intermediate temperature of A+30° C. to A+200° C.; and

thereafter cooling the rail at an average cooling rate of 0.5° C./s to 20° C./s for 10 sec or more,

wherein A is a temperature at an intersection point between a pearlite transformation start curve and a bainite transformation start curve in a TTT diagram of steel having the chemical composition, and the temperature of the rail and the average cooling rate are respectively a temperature and an average cooling rate at the rail head surface.

9. The rail according to claim 1 , wherein a difference between V2 and V1 is HBW 5 or more, where V2 is average hardness in the second internal region.

10. The rail according to claim 9 , wherein hardness in the second internal region increases continuously in a depth direction from the rail head surface.

11. The rail according to claim 9 , wherein the part having higher hardness than V1 is present throughout the second internal region.

12. The rail according to claim 11 , wherein hardness in the second internal region increases continuously in a depth direction from the rail head surface.

13. The rail according to claim 1 , wherein the part having higher hardness than V1 is present throughout the second internal region.

14. The rail according to claim 13 , wherein hardness in the second internal region increases continuously in a depth direction from the rail head surface.

15. The rail according to claim 3 , wherein the part having higher hardness than V1 is present throughout the second internal region.

16. The rail according to claim 15 , wherein hardness in the second internal region increases continuously in a depth direction from the rail head surface.

17. The rail according to claim 1 , wherein hardness in the second internal region increases continuously in a depth direction from the rail head surface.

18. A manufacturing method for the rail according to claim 1 , the manufacturing method comprising:

subjecting a steel material having the chemical composition according to claim 1 to hot rolling to obtain a rail;

thereafter cooling the rail from a temperature not less than austenite temperature to a first cooling temperature of A−25° C. to A+25° C., at an average cooling rate of 1° C./s to 20° C./s;

thereafter holding the rail until a temperature of the rail reaches an intermediate temperature of A+30° C. to A+200° C.; and

thereafter cooling the rail at an average cooling rate of 0.5° C./s to 20° C./s for 10 sec or more,

wherein A is a temperature at an intersection point between a pearlite transformation start curve and a bainite transformation start curve in a TTT diagram of steel having the chemical composition, and the temperature of the rail and the average cooling rate are respectively a temperature and an average cooling rate at the rail head surface.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2021
From: OKUSHIRO, KENJI; TOKUNAGA, KAZUYA; YAMAGUCHI, MORIYASU
To: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058357/0190 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-114890 · Jun 20, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220307101A1 · Sep 29, 2022
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